In order to help protect a vehicle occupant, a vehicle is equipped with one or more actuatable vehicle protection devices. Certain vehicle occupant protection devices are head and neck protection devices which help protect the head and neck of a vehicle occupant in a rear impact. It is known to construct such protection devices as part of a vehicle seat.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,572 to Bisland discloses an automatic headrest and neck protector as part of a vehicle seat in which a plate is raised behind the head and neck of the vehicle occupant to prevent sudden backward movement of the occupant's head.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,185 to Schmutz et al. discloses an actuatable headrest device that includes a rollover bar which is extended beyond the upper end of a backrest of a seat to help protect an occupant of the seat during a vehicle rollover condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,885 to Grossmann discloses a seat having an integrated headrest with an air bladder. The air bladder is inflated by a remotely located air pump upon actuation of a manual switch.